Hoko River pictures are back

Some time ago I pointed readers to the vast repository of Hoko River wet site excavation pictures put online by Dale Croes. Unfortunately, those links broke but now, via blog reader APM, I hear that the Hoko photo gallery is back online. I will definitely be mining this repository for lots of posts. Not only is this one of the most interesting sites ever excavated on the Northwest Coast, the pictures are a superb combination of excavation, artifact, and camp life – the latter a visual record of local archaeology as social practice in the 1970s. Also, as I mentioned previously, the lush, rich colour of the old Kodachrome slide film is stunning – you just don’t see that in modern digital cameras or even print film, despite the undeniable advantages of digital.

From the main page, many of the most interesting pictures are found under the “camp life” link. There you will be confronted with an awkward frames-based link layout. Not all links work still, but I’d say 90% do. You can browse easily by clicking on the pictures that open on the right-hand frame to get the next picture. This is easier than keeping the mouse centred on the picture number to the left. Right click on the picture to bring it up in its own window or tab. Some pages are organized as thumbnails, such as the wet site stratigraphy series. Because of the slightly awkward interface, I’ll aim to create a series of posts here which point to what I think are interesting aspects of this wonderful site.

Richard Daugherty and survey crew evaluate potential of Hoko Site in 1967 in WSU research vessel.

10 responses to “Hoko River pictures are back”

Great news. I love these photographs. Ironically I stumbled across your blog a couple of weeks ago when I was looking (unsuccessfully) for the Hoko digital archive. Now I have both the Hoko slides and your blog to read.

I think we need to re-start the slug queen contest so that all those field school students and resulting professionals come back for a reunion. I believe Quentin’s brother Al was a serious contender a couple of years. I do not remember a Calico Blackie in the field school?! Maybe this is a slug hacker?! DC

David: Great to hear from a premier Slug KING. Hope all going well-are you into archaeology?

I am actually at Hoko right now on vacation (remember ol’ cabin) with wife Mary and girlfriend Annie (ol’ dog). The squad tent camp is the back yard and I have to mow it today. Find lots of artifacts in our tent camp, but no tell-tale slug queen ones, except for old beer bottles and pull-tabs (which do not exactly associate with Slug Queen festivals exclusively).

We actually did try to mount a 20 year reunion of Hokoites, which was fun–did you hear about it. This would be the 35th year reunion, so maybe aim for 40 year? Slugs would love it–getting smashed by walkers and canes and wheelchairs. I am game if you are…..Dale

Yes, Dale. I’m still into archaeology. I did contract archaeology for years until I got disgusted with it all and now I take on small survey and testing projects in Northern California and Southern Oregon. I never heard about the 20-year reunion and I would be game to try for a 40th. I still have a few slides and prints from 83.

Taking a family vacation out at Seiku and thought I’d look up Hoko River Site. I worked the 1979 season. What a thrill to see my picture twice on those reclaimed photos. Thanks for getting them up for us. Fond memories.
Yvonne Larson